


Of the Fifteenth of December and a Nice Night

by Thegreenofyoureyes



Series: Christmas Fics 2015 [15]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-07 01:19:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5438165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thegreenofyoureyes/pseuds/Thegreenofyoureyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Luke and Ashton had accepted Michael and Calum’s offer to go on a double date of getting hot beverages and then walking around the small, lighted city, they had not been expecting it to be so… date like. </p><p>Sure, they were out and proud, and they held hands while walking, and even occasionally kissed in public, but it was nothing like the site in front of them. The couple had ordered a small piece of pie to share, and were taking that verb to the extreme. Ashton could only watch as Michael gently fed Calum a small bite, before kissing his nose. Their legs were intertwined and… Good God, were they *actually sharing Michael’s scarf*?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of the Fifteenth of December and a Nice Night

**Author's Note:**

> Day 15! That means 10 days left! Tomorrow's will be shorter probably because I've got a bunch of stuff to do. @Tanniri on Tumblr is wonderful and you all should love her as much as I do.

When Luke and Ashton had accepted Michael and Calum’s offer to go on a double date of getting hot beverages and then walking around the small, lighted city, they had not been expecting it to be so… date like. 

Sure, they were out and proud, and they held hands while walking, and even occasionally kissed in public, but it was nothing like the site in front of them. The couple had ordered a small piece of pie to share, and were taking that verb to the extreme. Ashton could only watch as Michael gently fed Calum a small bite, before kissing his nose. Their legs were intertwined and… Good God, were they *actually sharing Michael’s scarf*?

Ashton couldn't even bring himself to glare back at the people glaring at them. Honestly, he found it all adorable. He was a hopeless romantic, but there was a time and a place, and a Tuesday evening on the outside chairs of a coffee shop (*because they're idiots who decided it was nicer to be cold and outside than warm and in*) was neither. 

He also couldn't help but worry about how it reflected on him and Luke. Were the people walking by, or watching from inside, expecting them to start fucking on the table just to one-up their companions? Sure, they had their moments. Ashton often felt Luke’s shoulders needed kissing, or his face needed photographing, and Luke was just as bad with his little sketches of Ashton on napkins, and tables, and everything else. They would never, though, have to worry about a complementary piece of pie for “the newly engaged couple, congratulations you two,” which they corrected graciously, but were given regardless for “just being cute.”

When Michael pulled Calum into his lap, making it abundantly clear that they wouldn't be leaving until after the second piece was done, Luke reached into his backpack and pulled out a ballpoint pen. Ashton only had to wonder briefly just what for, until he saw the rough sketch beginning on the brown of Luke’s hot cocoa cup just underneath the “happy holidays!”

“So,” Michael said, as he held Calum close “you two got any gifts left to shop for that you want to do tonight?”

“Not really, for me,” Ashton replied, fiddling with his little film camera “I've got a few photos developing for some people, and I've bought basically everything else. You?”

“Oh, always” Calum answered instead “we always end up putting it off. I need something for my mom.”

“Babe, I think I saw a little glass-blowing booth like two blocks away. It's on the way to the park where all the good lights are set up. I bet she'd like a necklace or something from there.”

“All I've got my mom is a nice few pictures of Harry and Lauren,” Ashton said. 

“Right, but you're basically a professional. How much would you charge to do that for someone else?” Michael asked. 

“I dunno, $80? Film is expensive and Harry can't hold still.”

“So you've gotten her $80 worth of photos of her children. I mean, you're not in them I assume, but she’ll love them. Don't worry about it.”

Just as Ashton was about to take a sip of his coffee, Luke grabbed his cup, exchanging his own. Ashton sighed, knowing the coffee that was *way* to plain for Luke’s taste would get cold and worthless while the younger boy drew on it, and he'd be stuck with hot chocolate he would've ordered if he'd actually wanted. He couldn't bring himself to be too upset, though, because the picture on the cup he was now holding was adorable, and so was Luke. 

“Speaking of love,” Ashton said, pulling the viewfinder of his camera up to his eye “act natural.” Before Michael or Calum had even processed what was occurring, Ashton had a shot he liked quite a bit. It was sappy, and a bit blurry, but then those adjectives described Michael and Calum rather well. 

The pie was done now, but Luke wasn't, and Calum was rather clearly anxious to get moving. He was back on his own seat now, and had unwrapped Michael’s scarf from his neck. He'd even stacked their cups (although Ashton kept his just like he kept all of Luke’s silly little drawings). 

“You guys go on ahead, I'll wait for him. We’ll catch up,” Ashton said, gently rubbing Luke’s back, but not breaking his trance. 

“You sure? Wouldn't want to get separated,” Calum replied, but he was standing up. 

“We live in the same apartment, and cell phones exist. Worse comes to worse, we just meet up back at home, yeah? Go.”

And they did. Luke showed no signs of being ready, and Ashton simply didn't have the heart to interrupt him. Instead, he pulled his camera on Luke, using more shots, more film, than he ever would for anyone else. He actually had to incorporate “Luke-shots” into his monthly film budget, because even if he didn't show it the same way, he was just as bad as Michael and Calum. 

Just as the cold began to be a little much without the warmth of movement or conversation, Luke appeared to be done. A bit timidly, the younger boy turned Ashton’s coffee so that Ashton could see it. There beneath the “Joy to the world” was him, all bundled up. It was an adorable sketch, all rough yet so skilled. He especially liked the way that even in black ink, he was blushing with the cold. It made Ashton want to grab onto Luke and never let go. 

“When did you start that?” Ashton asked instead. 

“While you and them were talking. Do you like it?”

“I love it. I'm keeping it. But we should go,” Ashton said, standing up. 

“You're gonna carry an empty coffee cup around town while we walk?” Luke replied, giggling a bit while standing as well. 

“Actually, it's not empty yet. And no, I'm gonna carry two coffee cups around town while we walk. I'm keeping this one too.”

Luke giggled again, and waited for Ashton to down the remainder of the cold, gross coffee, before grabbing his arm and walking them out of the little coffee shop’s patio. 

“Where’re we meeting up with them?”

“Well, apparently, across the street a bit,” Ashton said, pointing to the figures of Michael and Calum crouching to pet a dog. They caught up in no time, just as the woman with the dog walked away. 

“I love that dog,” Calum said. 

“You love all dogs,” Michael said back, pulling the boy closer. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Michael replied, pulling a candy out of a candy bag Ashton hadn't noticed before. 

“Hold up, where did you get that?” He asked. 

“Oh, that woman gave it to us. Said she made it,” Calum replied, offering them a piece. Luke took one gladly. 

“Hold on a second. Are you insane? You're eating candy from a total stranger? She could've poisoned it or some shit!” Ashton was glaring at the bag, as if he could see through the hard shells and into the evil within. 

“Babe, your Newark is showing. This isn't NYC or Newark even. People are nice here. She's not going to poison her candy,” Luke said, pulling Ashton slightly closer. 

“My Newark is always showing, that's why I have this dumb accent. *That* is my common sense. And just keep in mind, you all owe me when I have to drive you to the hospital.”

He was joking now, though. They'd probably be fine. It was a small city full of wonderful people. And dog owners weren't especially known for poisoning college students. 

They walked for a bit, making small talk. Michael was holding both of Calum’s hands, and Luke and Ashton were walking rather close together. Hand-holding would come soon. Just not yet. They'd made it to the two or so blocks with all the shops when Calum turned to them. 

“Look, one of the presents we have to buy is your guys’s. Could you just, like, go into that one for a second? We’ll come get you when we’re done,” he said, before both he and Michael turned on their heels and walked off. 

The shop Calum had pointed to was a Scottish import market, that honestly would be more interesting than being forced to spend their time anywhere else. And it was warm inside, too, which was a nice contrast to the cold air of the city. The air if the shop was a bit foreign, smelling of something Ashton wasn't quite sure he'd smelt before, but was somehow still familiar. 

They browsed for a bit, before Luke stumbled upon some hand-crafted, hand woven leather bracelets. They both knew without speaking that the gift was absolutely perfect for Michael. He'd add it to his gauntlet of bracelets in a heartbeat. They were just checking out with that, and a strange candy Ashton had found, when Calum came in to find them. 

“This place is wild,” he said instead of a greeting. 

“I think it's pretty rad, actually,” Luke said, pocketing his receipt and the bracelet. 

“We’re all good to go now, if you want. Mike is just outside.”

*** 

The rest of the walk to the park was a slow one. Luke was clearly tired, which was honestly adorable, and there were lights on several trees that Ashton just *had* to get photos of. 

He regretted wasting the film when they came to the actual park. It wasn't flashy and fake, as he'd been expecting, but was actually quite beautiful. All the trees were lit in multicolored strings of light, but it worked well. On the ground were a few scenes here-or-there, but mostly it was just candles. He had three shots left, and he used them all on Luke looking at the lights, which he would never come to regret. 

They had to be done pretty quickly. The holidays had started, sure, Ashton having taken his last test earlier that day, but it was pretty clear they were all rather tired. Luke and Calum especially, though Calum was adamant in denying it because he wanted to see more, were stumbling a bit with the weariness. 

Ashton grabbed Luke’s hand, ignoring how they were knocking together, and walked them home. Michael and Calum, though slower because they kept stopping for kisses, were in tow. They didn't make it back to the apartment, amicably, until Luke and Ashton were cuddled together in their little bed, lazily kissing as they fell asleep.


End file.
